Bains is right at home on the international stage

In her first taste of international competition, Warwick-based Karenjeet Bains narrowly missed out on a medal at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Games in Vancouver.

More than 500 international lifters took part, with 19-year-old Bains representing England in the junior women’s 63kg category against athletes up to four years older than her.

Despite her inexperience - this was just her sixth powerlifting competition - the reigning British and English champion achieved a national record of 125kg in the squat.

That was followed by personal best lifts of 65kg in the bench press and 145kg in the deadlift, where she was edged out for the bronze medal.

Her unequipped total of 335kg across all three lifts placed her fifth overall in the competition, which was also a national record and a world-class total for her age and weight. She also broke four All-England records in the under-23 category.

Bains said: “Flying out to Vancouver to compete in the Commonwealth Games has been an experience I will never forget.

“Now that I’ve had my first taste of international competition against other world-class athletes, and with four years remaining in the same age category, I can’t wait to get back into training to build upon my performance and compete in the European and World Championships.

“I believe this will prove to be a solid foundation for many more years of global competitions to come.”